Apparatus for dispensing carbonated beverages



March 27, 1926.

W. E. DOUGHTY APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING CARBQNATED BEVERAGES Filed Feb. 1 192e Ww Wfl/mw Patented Mar. 27, 1928.

vsILLIAr/Iin.Y DOUGHTY, OFYDETRQIT, Iv'I'ICHIGAN,` As'sIGfNoR-TOJAMES VERNOR CoM- I'ANY, or. DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A-.coRn'oItMrroN "or" MICHIGAN.

APPARATUS' FOR DISPENSI'NG V'CARB'QNATED" 'BEVERAGESL Application filed.v February 1,- 11926.# SerialINbi 85,345.Avr

Under' the' present practice oi dispensing.

ginger ale-the beverage is prepared incarbon'ated conditionand for convenience in1l transporting' and storing is placed inf' .suitable containers or tanks subjected to relativelyA highpressure; Ginger ale in such condition is commonly knownY as high pressurev ale. Hcretofore, these tanks-of high pressure a-le were, before use," placed-in .an ice pack-ingr, in` orderto cool'the ale-to the-desired temperature forfdrinkin-g. It lisal'so general practice to run thehigh' pressure ale into a settling tank or chamber bel'ore drawing olilthe-v ale for drinking, the ale 'in the'settlingV chamberbeing" under relatively low pressure and known as lovv` pressure ale. From the Settling chamber the loW pressure ale is drawn of'ior drinking.' Thus the settling cham'- ber lprovides :tor reliefY of the greater'amount ot' gas I'romfthe ale so that Whenl the ale 1sA drawn` 'from the settling chamber vit Will not become unduly toamy, a conditionl Which Would-result ifthe ale Were dravvn'directly from the high pressure tank' to the'atmosphere;

Heretofore, the high pressure ale tanksy and the settlingch-amber Were-packed in ice. W'here the demand for'the ale isrelatively large, considerable diculty) and inconvenience has been experienced -in` cooling down the ale to t-he desired temperature in keeping with the demand'- 1t, has been found lforexample,-that from seven to eight hours is generallyrequired' to cool down a high -pressure tank of aleof-the-ordinmy ten gallon capacity.- Thus, such a dispensing system is not of a'iflexiblecharacter since the supply of properly cooled ale cannotreadily be maintained in keeping with a fiuctuatin-g demand.

Further ditliculty has been 'experienced in maintainingy vthe-ale at the desired temperature at t-he point-ofdispensing from the system.v For example, ,during the passage of the aleffrom the settlingchamber,orother source of-supply to the point of discharge from the draft apparatus, theltempera'ture is raised byfcontact with the relatively Warm' piping anddrai't apparatus. Such raising o-i temperature is' especially objectionable; and noticeable duringf thev summer months when the draft? apparatus and piping.leadingtheretrom to;k thesettlingf; chamber, or other source of supply oii cool'ale, becomes qnilteiwarm. .i When the alev is;v drawn interm-iittenitly'v under: such conditions, .the draft apparatus andipipifngv'becomes warm between dispenlsinlgv'peri'ods so that unlessfthe ale 'is dlraW-n practically constantlyit 1 is considerabllyfabove the temperature of the ale in the settlinig-- clnimb'ery or otlier-lsource of supply;y

One of'th'eiobjects odi my invention"ist` to provide anovel method f and apparatus for dispensing-j ale characterized in its' ability to --eHic'ien-tlyf and collivenientliy cool doWnf a continuous supply o'al-"e avoidingl the afore-l said 'diiculties yand objections,

AA furtherfeature'- of the invention resides inthe` provision-of means fonquickly cooling the ale; to theE desired temperature avoidingfthfef'aforesaid difcul'ti'es vand objections underfthel hereto-fore general fpractice of dispensing carbonated beverages.

stillfurtlrer obj-ect of' f the invention Vresides-inthe provi-sion: ofmeans whereby the ale ismaintained at-the desired lowv temperatureduri-ng tspassagefromL theA supply, such? pensing-l avo-i'di-'ngj the aoresaidf difculties due-Ito contactof'the ale'Y Wit-l1 the piping and draft apparatus. lThus the draft apparatus mayi-b'e'locatedi as lfarV as desiredirom the sourcel of ale and cooli-'rrg'apparatus With these and ;otherVobjectsl in View, the. invention'V- resides? in the novel eatlliresv` A of construction'v andy combination 1 and arrangements of parts as more' lfully hereinafter de'- scribed andt'zlai-fm'ed. p

Referring i. to therk drawings in whichY like referencev characters i indicate corresponding parts. t

FigureA 1' represents arrelevation View' partly' in cross section 'and 1diagrammatic to some extent, illustrating/one embodiment of my' invention';and y Figurej2` is a detail vievvin section along 31-3 otFigure'lf Inlthe' drawings, reference vcharacter A;2V represents la' tankor refri'geratingchamberv hearing.l inner and`- outerf Walls 10' and 11"` respectively Witha ltemperature insulating'V medium 12 therebetween, such as cork, for example. l

B represents a tank or container providing a source of the liquid to be dispensed described for purposes of illustration as ginger ale., the ale within the tank being carbonated in accordance with general ractice and preferably under a relatively iigh pressure such as one hundred sixty pounds per square inch, for example. For convenience in handling, storage and shipment the tanks B may be of ten gallon size, for eX- ample, having a control valve 13 and coupling 14, the latter being adapted to detachably connect with a pipe or conduit 15. rlhe latter pipe is passed through the tank A as shown in Figure 1.

llor cooling the ale during its travel through the tank B or other source of supply to the point of dispensing and for maintaining the ale at the desired temperature l might employ cracked ice as shown at 16 in Figure 1. ln this form of my invention, the tank A may contain the settling chamber C, referred to hereinafter, rllhe high pressure alle is conducted by a pipe 15 preferably downwardly through the water 17 by the pipe portion 18 to a point substantially at the bottom of the tank. l? rom this point the pipe is coiled upwardly as at 19 through the water to a point substantially adjacent the top of the water whence it passes through the pipe 2O to the settling chamber C. lee 16, preferably in cracked form, is introduced into tank A, floating on the water.

A feature of my invention resides in providing means for vpreventing the formation of an insulating i'ilm of cold water immediately adjacent the coils 19. To this end, l have provided a propeller` agitator or cir-l culating propeller 21 mounted on'a shaft22, the latter being extended through the chamber A by a suitable packed bearing 23. 2a

is a motor kfor rotating shaft 22 and pro-A peller 21 through reduction drive 25 Vwhen desired. rlhe propeller a `itator 21 driven from shaft 22 is' prefera ly encased in a screen 26 to prevent Contact of the ice with the blades of the propeller.

l have found that the temperature of the water at the surface will be substantially 32O l". and at the bottom substantially 400 F.

so that by causing the incoming ale to flow upwardly through coils 19 the relatively warm ale is introduced at the bottom of the tank while the relatively cold ale is taken off at the water surface where the lowest temperature of the water is realized.

ln operation lof the system asv thus far described, when the ale is conducted Vfrom the pipe 20 hy'any suitable device such as hereinafter set forth, ale to replace that conducted away will Vflow from the supply tank B to the pipe 15 whence it will be disneeacsa tributed to the coils 19 for cooling by circulation through the water 17 agitated by propeller 21. The presence of the relatively large body of water 17 serves to'stabilize the system preventing fluctuations of temperature within the chamber A. I have found that with fifty feet of one-quarter inch block tin ale conducting pipe, within the chamber A my device described above, can cool forty gallon of ale per hour from 7a@ F. to 36o F. continuous flow. Stich a capacity is sufficient for ordinary purposes and if added capacity is found desirable, the number of coils 19 may be increased or more ice may be added.

Preferably within the chamber A and surrounded by the water 17 is a settling chamber C adapted to receive the high pressure ale from the pipe 2O and to afford partial relief of the ale pressure. The ale from pipe 20 passes into the settling chamber C as at 27, the flow being contrdlled by pressure regulator 2S of standard or other suitable construction. rlhis regulator 28 may be set to `permit flow of` ale into chamber C when the pressure in the chamber falls below any predetermined pressure, the latter being or dinarily governed by the head or distance the ale must flow vertically to the point of draft. The latter point is indicated in the drawings by the draft apparatus D shown mounted on counter 29 forming the top ot tank A although the draft apparatus may be positioned at any other desired point rcinote with respect to the tank A, as for eX- ample, several floors above the tank. rlhus for the relatively small head illustrated in the drawings, the pressure regulator 28 may be set to permit flow of the. ale into the chamber C whenever the pressure therein falls below siX pounds per square inch.

The ale flowing into the chamber C will. become foamy, liberating a certain amount of the Lwas contained in the high pressure ale. ln order to permit escape of this gas, to insure a relatively low pressure at all times of the ale in the settling chamber, to afford a proper tasteV of the ale and to permit the alev to readily settle to liquid form, the following construction is provided.

rlhreadedly engaging an opening 30 in the top of chamber C, preferably above the water lino, is a. primary valve casing 31, providing a gas chamber 32. The' gas from the settling chamber is free to pass to the ,l'iamber 32 through port 33 of plug 34, the latter having an axial bore affording a sliding bearing for valve stem 35 of a primary valve 36, the latter controlling the escape of from chamber 32 by way of the port 37. Connected with the Valve stem 35 is a float 3S whereby the primary valve 36 is controlled by the settled or low pressure ale 39 within the settling chamber. 4() is a secondary valve. casing connected as by a threaded engagementiat 4^1'withl the primary valve* casing.V 31,.v the casing 40 having an inlet port 42 registering with the portv 37 the latter communicating, byV reason of suitable piping, preferably with the atmosphere. The compression of spring 45 may be regulated by rotating the cap 48, forming an abutmentL for thesprin-g, at the point of threadedfengagement 49 with casing 40.

Ihave found it desirable, for example, to arrangethe spring 45 to. act to seat the secondary valve 44 whenever the pressure of thcA gas inthe settling chamber falls below twop'oundsv per lsquare inch, such pressure establishing-a minimumV for the aleV iny the settling chamber. l/Vhen ale is drawn from thesettling--chamber thefloat 33 lowers unsea'ting valve 36. If the pressure in the settling chamber is less than six pounds per square inch, high pressure ale will iow into the chamber C past regulator 28 from pipe 20. lvhenever4 the pressure vof ale in chamber C'is more than two pounds per square inch, 'and-the valve 36 unseated, the excess pressure passes from chamber C to primary valve chamber 32 pastvalve 36 and ports 37 and 42 to the secondary valve chamber 43, whenceit acts to unseat secondary valve 44,

the gas thenl escaping to the atmosphere by wayof ports 46 and .47..

It will thus'be noted that I have provided control device whereby there will be at all times from two to six pounds per square inch pressure on the low pressure settle ale in the settling chamber C. Heretofore, pop valves were used to liberate thesettled ale, these valves frequently becoming worn so as to leak, liberating all the gas from the settled ale and thus lleaving the ale with a flat undesirable taste. p

W ith my invention, the escape of the gas from the settling chamber is positively controlled by the height of the ale and when the valve 3G is unseated, then the valve 44 will operate to liberate gas in excess of two pounds per square inch pressure. Even if the valve 44 should leak, there is always a l relatively large amount of gas being liberatedvby the iniiowing high pressure ale and when the ale level rises, the valve 36 will positively close, thus trapping the remaining liberated gas from the ale in the settling chamber. There will always be a pressure on the settled ale of from two to six pounds per square inch. When the valve 36 closes, the regulator 28 will function as at other times to build up the pressure to six pounds per square inch.

As shown in Figure l, the settlingchamberCis preferably locatedwithin lthe tank A andnearlyentirely surroundedby the cooling water 17. The propeller 21, serves to ymaintainthe temperature of the water in the vicinity of chamber C, the same `as the temperatur-ein the vicinity ofthe coils The-'aley from the chamber C is drawn off to the draft apparatus D by a pipe50 prefcrably communicating with the chamber at the bottoinwhere the surrounding Cooling water is of the lowest temperature.y The draft apparatus l) comprises the draft arm 5l terminating in the draw-oif spoutor nozzle 52 controlled by a valve 53. As aforesaid, thefregulator 23 may be set to correspond with the pressure necessary to forcel vthe ale up te the valve 53, the head being relativelylow as shown in the drawings.

In order to lmaintain the temperature of` the ale in the draft arm 5l equal to that in the chamber C, I have provided means for circulating the cold ale from the settling' chamber to the draft arm so that as soon as valve 53 is opened, ale will be drawnfrom nozzle 52 at the temperature of the ale in the chamber B. i To'this end, a circulating pipey 54 is connected preferably between the `bot-- tom of chamber C and a circulating pump E actuated'preferably by the. shaft 22. This pump forces the ale through pipe' 55'which has a'portion 56 extending along the surface of the water further serving to maintain the ,desired low temperature of the ale drawn to the dispensing appara-tus. Thence the ale passesupwardly into the draft arm 51, the circulatinglpipe being open-ended so'as'to'v pass the cold ale from chamber C to a point adjacent the valve 53. Thus this circulating pipe will cause a continuous flow of cold ale upwardly through the pipe portion 56 vand downwardly through the draft arm 51 and pipe 50 to the chamber C. Thus, even though the ale is drawn from the nozzle 52 at intermittent periods, the ale drawn will always be of vatemperature the same as the ale in the chamber C. It will further be noted that the draft apparatus D may be located remotely from the chamber' C or other source of cold ale, at the same time insuring properly Vcooled ale when drawn from thev dispensing nozzle. I have thus avoided the objection of drawing ale warmed during passage from the source of supply to the dis pensing nozzle.

l/Vhile itis believed from the foregoing description, the nature and advantage of my invention will be readily understood, I desire to have it understood that I do'not limit myself to what is herein shown and described and that such changes may be resorted to when desired as fall within the scope of the claims. i J v v What I claim as my invention is 1. A carbonated beverage dispensing aplli) paratus comprising a tank adapted to contain a cooling liquid, means for conducting the beverage within the tank from a source of supply without the tank, a pipe connected to receive the beverage within the tank and arranged in a circuitous path below the level of the liquid in the tank, means forcooling the liquid, a settling chamber also located within the tank, means for conducting the cooled beverage from the said circuitous pipe to a point within the settling chamber, a draft apparatus located `without the chamber, means for conducting the beverage from the settling chamber to the draft apparatus, means for circulating the beverage between the draft apparatus and the said chamber, said rlast named means including a pump, a rotatableshaft for actuating said pump, and means also actuated by said shaft for establishing a circulation of the said liquid Within the tank.

2. A beverage dispensing apparatus including in combination a beverage chamber, a draft apparatus, a pump for circulating the beverage between the said draft apparatus and the chamber, means for actuating said pump, and means actuated by said pump actuating means for circulating a cooling medium around the said chamber.

A beverage dispensing apparatus including in combination a beverage chamber, a draft apparatus, a pump for circulating the beverage between the saiddraft apparatus and chamber, means for actuating the said pump, and means for circulating a cooling medium around the said chamber, said last mentioned means including a propeller,

Lacasse and a. driving connection between the said propeller and the said pump actuating means.

4. A `beverage dispensing apparatus including in combination a beverage chamber, a draft apparatus, a pump for circulating the beverage between the said draft apparatus and chamber, avshaft for actuating the i shaft for actuating the said pump, a prof peller on the said shaft for circulating the mixture of ice and water around the said chamber, and means for shielding the said propeller from the ice. y

3. ln combination, a tank adapted to receive a mixture of ice and water, a settling chamber within the said tank, a draft apparat-us connected to the said settling chamber, a pump for circulating the beverage between the said draft apparatus and chamber, a shaft for actuating the said ump, a propeller on the said shaft for circulating the mixture of ice and Water around the said chamber, and means for shielding the said propeller from the ice, said means including a screen secured to the said tank and forming a housing around the said propeller.

in testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WM. E. DOUGHTY. 

